What editorial writers are saying about Monday's election

The Montreal Gazette's Aislin had this offering earlier during the election campaign. See what Postmedia newspapers have to offer late in the campaign.

Photograph by: Aislin
, Postmedia News

VANCOUVER SUN

Even when he's singing Beatles tunes, Conservative party leader Stephen Harper comes across as stern and austere. His style contrasts sharply with New Democrat leader Jack Layton's warmth and humour and Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff's passion and erudition.

But an election is not about personalities; it is a collective decision about leadership. It is up to us to elect the leader and party best able to govern at this time, in these circumstances.

. . . Some voters may be swayed by the promises of the Liberal and NDP platforms. But this is not the time for an abrupt, fundamental change in direction. Layton's personal appeal cannot mask his party's lack of fiscal discipline and Ignatieff, despite his remarkable career as educator, author and journalist, has run a poor campaign and has failed to demonstrate the leadership Canada needs to navigate the turmoil that surrounds us.

. . . the Conservatives should be returned to Parliament with a majority. A minority government will be unstable at a time when we need stability. Without a majority, Canadians will have no idea who their leader will be. The fact is that the opposition could defeat the government on the budget within a matter of weeks of the next sitting of Parliament. Then, either Ignatieff (or possibly his successor, whoever that might be) or Layton could ask the Governor-General to invite one or the other or both of them to form a government.

. . . Canada can't afford an election that delivers a result with so much uncertainty.

. . . Despite the Tories' flaws, however, a Conservative majority is the only path that at this time leads us to a Canada that will remain the prosperous, peaceful and predictable country in which we are fortunate enough to live.

CALGARY HERALD

NDP Leader Jack Layton may be a nice guy to have a beer with, and Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff's academic brain might be impressive, but both prove by their comments that they would be disastrous for Alberta — and, therefore, the country. During this campaign, they threw Alberta under the bus, hoping to score points with voters in B.C. and Quebec.

. . . We'll take a prime minister and a party that refuses to use Alberta as a political punching bag, but ours is not an Alberta-centric view. The oilsands are of strategic importance to Canada and the world. Canada needs the oilsands —and to not engage in constructive debate on their development, and to not allow Alberta the access to markets that every other province has, is irresponsible for any would-be prime minister.

If the Layton love-in plays out as pollster Frank Graves recently projected, that shocking possibility could come true. An NDP-led coalition propped up by the Liberals and the separatist Bloc Quebecois would be shocking not just to us, but to an international community that has admired Canada's Harper-led stability during the global economic crisis.

. . . We hope that Canadians return the Conservatives with a majority, because their record and their platform make them the best choice for the country by far.

WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

Canada needs political stability to grow its economy and sort out its affairs, particularly its finances and soaring health-care costs. The most certain way Canada will get the stability and policies it needs now is by electing a majority Conservative government on Monday.

The case for the Conservatives begins with an examination of the alternatives. Jack Layton might be the flavour of the moment because former Liberal supporters like him more than they like the fourth Liberal leader in seven years — Michael Ignatieff — or the stale leader of the Bloc Quebecois, Gilles Duceppe. On a personal level, in fact, there is much to like about Mr. Layton, as his moniker Smilin' Jack and his focus on the less-advantaged attest. Personality, however, is not Mr. Layton's problem — his platform is.

. . . That the country even talks about coalitions composed of weak parties focused on buying votes, instead of focusing on the fragile economic recovery, is all the evidence Canadians should need to conclude that seven years of minority government, of the posturing and name-calling and brinksmanship that results when no one ultimately is in charge, must end. Canada must get more serious about its present predicaments and future prosperity. That leaves only the Conservatives.

To be sure, Conservatives over the past five years, and Prime Minister Stephen Harper in particular, have contributed much to the rancour that today sours our polity. But just as surely, over the past five years no political party or leader has shown more disciplined commitment to the engine that makes all else possible — the economy. For all the talk of a hidden, right-wing agenda, none has emerged over five years and there is no evidence it will over the next four.

. . . Four years of stable government will provide the time that Mr. Ignatieff and, especially, Mr. Layton need to find their feet. Mr. Harper already knows where he stands, and why that's best for Canada.

TORONTO STAR

. . . Unless the pollsters have totally misread the mood of the voters, Stephen Harper's Conservatives look to be heading for another victory . . . that would be bad for the country. The last thing Canada needs is an affirmation of a government obsessed with control, dismissive of critics, and determined to further diminish the role of the state in charting a better future for the country.

. . . The New Democrats have been reinvigorated under the leadership of Jack Layton. After Monday, they may well challenge the Liberals as the principal national standard-bearer for the roughly two voters in three who disagree fundamentally with the course charted by the Harper Conservatives. Progressive voters should give them their support on Monday . . .

Voters who believe Canada should aspire to something greater than the crabbed, narrow vision offered by the Harper Conservatives should look to Jack Layton and the New Democrats on Monday.

GLOBE & MAIL

. . . Only Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party have shown the leadership, the bullheadedness (let's call it what it is) and the discipline this country needs. He has built the Conservatives into arguably the only truly national party, and during his five years in office has demonstrated strength of character, resolve and a desire to reform. Canadians take Mr. Harper's successful stewardship of the economy for granted, which is high praise. He has not been the scary character portrayed by the opposition; with some exceptions, his government has been moderate and pragmatic.

Mr. Harper could achieve a great deal more if he would relax his grip on Parliament, its independent officers and the flow of information, and instead bring his disciplined approach to bear on the great challenges at hand. That is the great strike against the Conservatives: a disrespect for Parliament, the abuse of prorogation, the repeated attempts (including during this campaign) to stanch debate and free expression. It is a disappointing failing in a leader who previously emerged from a populist movement that fought so valiantly for democratic reforms.

Those who disdain the Harper approach should consider his overall record, which is good. The Prime Minister and the Conservative Party have demonstrated principled judgment on the economic file . . .

The campaign of 2011 — so vicious and often vapid — should not be remembered fondly. But that will soon be behind us. If the result is a confident new Parliament, it could help propel Canada into a fresh period of innovation, government reform and global ambition. Stephen Harper and the Conservatives are best positioned to guide Canada there.

MONTREAL GAZETTE

. . . This election will be the fourth in the past seven years, with each of the previous three having produced vulnerable minority governments that were all but assured of a foreshortened lifespan. If the result on Monday produces another of the same, then this election will indeed have been a waste of time, effort and several hundred million dollars. As such, the optimal result this time around would be a stable majority government.

. . . . In light of how this election campaign has unfolded, and what it has told us about the strengths and weaknesses of the parties and their leaders, it appears the optimal party to form a majority government is Stephen Harper's Conservative Party. During the five years they have held minority office, the Harper Conservatives have been rightly criticized for a panoply of failings, including Harper's rigid centralization of power in the prime minister's office, his government's excessive obsession with law-and-order legislation and prison-building, and its insufficient concern with climate change and green energy development. However, the Conservatives have kept Canada on an even economic keel to the point where, in this post-recession world, its economic indicators are among the most positive on the planet. Furthermore, the Conservatives are the only party likely to have strong representation in all regions of the country, a highly desirable feature of a national government.

HALIFAX CHRONICLE HERALD

. . . Voting intentions have moved to the poles as we have got closer to the polls, turning this into an effective contest of the NDP left and the Tory right.

You can peg this partly on Prime Minister Stephen Harper being a polarizing leader. And also on his strategy of eking out a majority by winning over targeted demographic groups in a few marginal ridings instead of aiming to make the Tories a bigger-tent party.

That left a lot voters essentially disengaged. But they have decided they want to be heard in this election. And they've been jumping to Jack Layton to do that . . .

It's an astonishing result when most people, at heart, are probably still somewhere in the middle, not looking either for a big expansion of government, or a drastic shrinkage of the social safety net, but simple competence in managing the economy and public finances and in ensuring crucial public services like health care are there when needed.

. . . The Tories take far too much credit for their economic stimulus, when spending billions in a recession is the easy part and getting back to balance is the hard road that now lies ahead. The NDP are equally complacent in presuming this economy can support a doubling of public pensions, a big corporate tax hike and hefty new emissions charges, all the while bringing the budget back toward balance.

. . . So voters need to weigh the credibility of policy promises and of individual candidates when they cast their ballots on Monday. Polarity may be exciting, but a government has to be focused on what is really most important and achievable to deliver the goods.

HAMILTON SPECTATOR

We believe Stephen Harper's Conservatives are the best and most logical choice to form the next government of Canada. But we come to that conclusion not easily, not with great pleasure, and certainly with some trepidation.

. . . Jack Layton's New Democrats are enjoying a spectacular rise in public support . . . But the NDP is not ready for federal prime time. Its platform is expensive, unrealistic in its costing and does not stand up to serious scrutiny: There are gaping holes in policy and in numbers. It's the platform of a party that has never had the responsibility of governing.

. . . The Liberals are in quite the opposite position: Their platform is more palatable to many voters than their leader. For reasons that may have as much to do with the Canadian electorate as with him, Michael Ignatieff has been unable to connect with people. He doesn't relate to the average Canadian — or, rather, the average Canadian doesn't relate to him.

So, virtually by default, we are left with Stephen Harper's Conservatives.

. . . The Harper government managed Canada capably through the 2008 financial meltdown. Harper does not own the all the credit for Canada's relative economic health while other Western economies remain devastated, but neither does he deserve all the approbation for the resulting federal deficit. His track record as a national manager is his biggest asset.

. . . We share the concerns of Canadians who fear a majority Conservative government could result in a hard swing to the right on such divisive issues as abortion, crime and punishment and gun ownership . . . But the Conservative track record also includes relatively sound fiscal management and a centrist approach to national social issues . . . at this juncture, we believe the Conservative Party of Canada is best placed to take this country forward.

EDMONTON JOURNAL

. . . a Tory majority spiced with strong local opposition representation would be the best way forward.

It is true the Harper Conservatives have their flaws . . . but for several reasons, the electorate should look beyond such things to the bigger picture: First, the Tories' record on the vital core issues facing the country — the economy, health care and military spending — has been moderate and sensible. No not perfect, given the deficit, but not at all bad compared to what we are likely to get if Liberals and New Democrats compete to deliver unrealistic campaign promises.

Second, even when you set aside their policies, a government dominated by New Democrats would feature ministerial rookies. Is this the time to take such a leap into the unknown?

. . . Third, the Harper Conservatives can be counted upon to defend and nurture Alberta's energy wealth. They understand it, for one thing, and for another, only a federal government with strong Alberta representation will have the political leverage to confront the threat of climate change, and the need to develop the resource in a sustainable and internationally acceptable way. Already a Conservative Ottawa has done more to mesh the two agendas than the Liberals would ever have managed without stoking new waves of Western alienation.

Fourth, speaking of Western alienation, a few more years of Conservative government will be good for national unity. For far too long, Canadian conservatives have thought of "Ottawa" as "they," not "we." For far too long, westerners have been driven by the Liberal ascendancy, and by flexible Quebec voters' canny ability to keep the politicians' attention, to feel relegated to national afterthought. Having a government rooted in western Reform party politics has changed that in a valuable, necessary way

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